Government Receives Formal Rejection From PPTA

Education Minister Trevor Mallard today
confirmed the PPTA executive had formally rejected the
latest government offer for a short-term settlement to the
secondary teachers’ collective agreement and that if the
PPTA was not prepared to move, the talks could reach an
impasse.

It followed the membership rejection of two
settlements reached by their executive.

Trevor Mallard
said government negotiators and the PPTA would continue to
negotiate over the next two days with mediation assistance
in order to seek a way forward.

“The package rejected was
fair and reasonable and included:

- A 2% increase to base
salary and unit rates backdated to 11 July 2001.

- A
further 1.5% increase to base salary and unit rates with
effect from 10 July 2002.

- In a timetabled 25 hour week,
provision of three non-contact hours in 2002/03, four
non-contact hours in 2004, and in 2005 endeavour to provide
five non-contact hours.

“It also included 19,000 new
units of $1000 each - with considerable flexibility for
schools to allocate the units to recognise additional
workload associated with the implementation of NCEA. Staff
undertaking the most responsibility for NCEA implementation
could receive a multiple number of units.

“I understand
that the concept of these units was favourably considered by
the PPTA. While financial recognition of the workload
associated with the introduction of the NCEA is one part of
the picture, I have asked the Ministry to do further work to
ease the workload pressures associated with NCEA.

“The
government is not, however, in a position to increase the
funding available to settle the agreement. The average
salary of $52,000 is higher than many in the community
understand it to be.

“I remain committed to having the
collective agreement settled as soon as possible, but not at
any cost,” Trevor Mallard said.

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